Publications by authors named "Frank A Buquicchio"

Tissue-resident memory T (T) cells are integral to tissue immunity, persisting in diverse anatomical sites where they adhere to a common transcriptional framework. How these cells integrate distinct local cues to adopt the common T cell fate remains poorly understood. Here, we show that whereas skin T cells strictly require transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) for tissue residency, those in other locations utilize the metabolite retinoic acid (RA) to drive an alternative differentiation pathway, directing a TGF-β-independent tissue residency program in the liver and synergizing with TGF-β to drive T cells in the small intestine.

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The memory CD8 T cell pool contains phenotypically and transcriptionally heterogeneous subsets with specialized functions and recirculation patterns. Here, we examined the epigenetic landscape of CD8 T cells isolated from seven non-lymphoid organs across four distinct infection models, alongside their circulating T cell counterparts. Using single-cell transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (scATAC-seq), we found that tissue-resident memory T (T) cells and circulating memory T (T) cells develop along distinct epigenetic trajectories.

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Cell therapies have yielded durable clinical benefits for patients with cancer, but the risks associated with the development of therapies from manipulated human cells are understudied. For example, we lack a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of toxicities observed in patients receiving T cell therapies, including recent reports of encephalitis caused by reactivation of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6). Here, through petabase-scale viral genomics mining, we examine the landscape of human latent viral reactivation and demonstrate that HHV-6B can become reactivated in cultures of human CD4 T cells.

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Pathogenic mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) compromise cellular metabolism, contributing to cellular heterogeneity and disease. Diverse mutations are associated with diverse clinical phenotypes, suggesting distinct organ- and cell-type-specific metabolic vulnerabilities. Here we establish a multi-omics approach to quantify deletions in mtDNA alongside cell state features in single cells derived from six patients across the phenotypic spectrum of single large-scale mtDNA deletions (SLSMDs).

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Cell cycle (CC) facilitates cell division via robust, cyclical gene expression. Protective immunity requires the expansion of pathogen-responsive cell types, but whether CC confers unique gene expression programs that direct the subsequent immunological response remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that single macrophages (MFs) adopt different plasticity states in CC, which leads to heterogeneous cytokine-induced polarization, priming, and repolarization programs.

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Article Synopsis
  • Tissue-resident memory T cells (specifically CD8 T cells) are crucial for quickly controlling infections in specific tissues, and their residency is influenced by the transcription factor Runx3.
  • CD4 T cells, lacking Runx3, do not develop the necessary transcriptional network to maintain residency like CD8 T cells do, primarily due to the need for Runx1 and the minimal presence of Runx3.
  • Introducing Runx3 into CD4 T cells activates the TGF-β transcriptional network, leading to improved survival, retention in tissues, redistribution towards epithelial areas, and better overall functionality.
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CRISPR-Cas9 technologies have transformed the study of genetic pathways governing cellular differentiation and function. Recent advances have adapted these methods to immune cells, which has accelerated the pace of functional genomics in immunology and enabled new avenues for the design of cellular immunotherapies for cancer. In this review, we summarize recent developments in CRISPR-Cas9 technology and discuss how they have been leveraged to discover and manipulate novel genetic regulators of the immune system.

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